Going My Soul
by Shaun Garin
Summary: The last days of Riot 6 were meant to be a good memory, wrought from days of pain and violence. For Tiana, it's the beginning of a Digital Hazard.
1. Chapter 1

Tia hadn't had this dream in a while.

Standing in an explosion of flames and naked, not that it bothered her much, she was looking around as the heat warmed her body, making her feel comfortable in them. She was walking with no end in sight, looking around.

Then, a hand slid through the fire and Tia felt it slide across her cheek, loving and comfortingly.

Unlike the last few times she had been in this dream, she could see the face more firmly: warm eyes looked out from a flaming mane of red hair. Red armor like one that you would find on a noble samurai was worn, and the hand was covered in a black glove.

"Shinka," insisted the man.

She had looked for that word when she used to have the dreams, and now she knew what it meant. "Evolve?"

The man in red armor nodded. "Shinka."

Tia nodded as the dream changed, and he pressed a red phone-like device into her hand. "Shinka," he insisted once more before retreating into the flames.

* * *

Tia awoke, and rubbed her eyes as she looked out at the room. It would be the last day she and Subaru spent together in Riot 6. It was all over, save for the shouting.

Shinka, insisted that voice once more at the edge of her sleep-addled mind.

"Evolve… huh…"

* * *

Going My Soul

Written by Shaun Garin

MGLN and Digimon is owned by their respective creators

Episode 1: Spirits of Fire

* * *

It was a perfect day for the best ending that Riot 6 could manage to have. Though there was an underlining sense of melancholy since many of them would be going their separate ways. People exchanged numbers and offered to keep each other updated on where their next assignment was going to take them.

In the midst of it, Tiana sat in the same place that she had once cried on Nanoha's shoulder, legs hanging over the ledge as she looked at the ocean. Despite the sense of completion that she had with the JS incident behind them, she couldn't help but have a sense of unease thus far.

Normally, she'd be happy, being able to work with Fate, but the dream still managed to touch at the edge of her mind. Raising a hand to the sky, she peered at the sun that was beating down on her. "Shinka… huh…"

Laying down, she shielded her eyes with her hand. "I wonder what it really means…"

"What means what, Tia?" inquired Subaru as she plopped down next to her, followed by Erio and Caro and Fried. "And what was that word you uttered a while ago? Shin something or other?"

"Shinka," said Erio. "If I remember correctly it means 'evolve' in Nanoha's language."

"Something on your mind, Tiana?" inquired Caro curiously.

"Ah… just a dream I had, Caro," replied Tiana, exhaling softly. "I haven't had it since I was a child."

"Maybe it was the stress of the last couple of days getting to you?" suggested Erio helpfully.

"Could be." Normally, that would be the case and Tiana would laugh it off. But there was an underlying sense of urgency to the pleading tone.

Quite suddenly however, Fried began to squawk, flapping his wings agitatedly as Caro looked at her dear partner. "What's going on, Fried?"

Birds from the nearby tree suddenly took off, letting out sharp cries. "Something's spooking the animals," said Erio, suddenly on guard.

The underbrush rustled, and then suddenly, a tree snapped in a shower of splinters as Subaru and Erio were in front of the pair, barrier jackets set up. Dust billowed everywhere as alarms went off, and the pair protected their rear guard members. "What's going on?" demanded Subaru as a glowing outline of something stormed into view. "Tch, an invisible attacker?"

"It must be one of Jail's leftovers," said Tiana, activating her own jacket in a burst of orange light as Caro did the same. "Let's try to slow it down."

* * *

"Report!" exclaimed Hayate, running into the command room of the retrofitted Asura.

"There's huge energy surge near the dormitories. Lightning 2 and 3 as well as Stars 2 and 3 have engaged!"

"We can't get a good visual, something's blocking our sensors!"

"Can you beam them out of there?" inquired Hayate.

"That's a negative, sir! We can beam reinforcements in though!"

Hayate nodded. "Do it. Send two squads down there and contact the on-planet command. They'll need to know what's going on."

As men ran out, a voice cut into Hayate's thought. "They won't be able to stop it, your men." She turned to see a young man standing there, dressed in civilian clothing. Red shirt, green jacket, blue pants with dark hair.

"I'm sorry but civilians aren't allowed on deck," said Hayate.

"I'm not a part of this place," said the young man as he looked at her and she was startled to see the sheer age in his eyes. She was a good judge of stuff like that and it made her nervous. "Or any place. I just came to warn you all that the Digital Hazard is coming. And you'd best be prepared. Already it begins, with the attack."

Hayate's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

The young man smiled as he held up a black device in response. "Just a passing by… person." It was like he was going to add more but thought differently. Instead he smiled, and for some reason, Hayate felt assured at that. "The first is already on site. You should keep in mind there will be more."

Hayate nodded as she blinked and in that very second, he was gone.

After a long moment Rein, who had been keeping silent, turned to her and asked, "Hayate? Who were you talking to?"

* * *

This wasn't looking good at all. She knew that most of the mages that were in Riot 6 were upcoming elites but they had been swept aside like ten pins or scattered by the gusts of flame breath that it breathed. What sucked the most about the entire situation was that they couldn't hit it, but it could hit them.

Another gout of flame erupted from it and rather than dodging, the two forwards put up a shield that held long enough for the flames to explode around them. "This is not looking good," said Erio needlessly as he adjusted his grip on his lance. "Any more ideas?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," replied Subaru. "Tia?"

"Working on it!" She and Caro were forced to dodge out of the way as what they figured was its tail crashed into the ground. "Caro, you and Fried circle right, let's see if we can't keep it busy from both sides."

"Roger!" In a burst of energy, Fried grew to his large size and she mounted him, the pair soaring into the air amidst bursts of flame tracking them. Fried spat a gout of energy at it but the attack passed through harmlessly, impacting into the ocean.

"Tch, this is frustrating," snarled Subaru. "Can't even make a dent in it!"

Activating Wing Road, she soared upwards. "Let's give it one for Mach Calibur!"

Zooming around, energy built up in her hand as she started her attack. "Divine….!"

Suddenly, that tail came up and smacked into Subaru, blindsiding her as she plummeted to the ground. "Damnit…!"

Unable to catch herself, she was caught by Tiana, but the pair weren't going to get a second to retaliate as a gout of flame erupted towards them. Tiana threw up a shield and there was a loud cracking noise.

"Get out of there, it's going to break!" yelled Erio, charging forward to help them.

"Tia!" yelled Caro from her perch. "Subaru!"

With a cracking noise, the barrier shattered and the pair was engulfed by flames.

* * *

"Shinka…"

Tia blinked. She was back in that firestorm but this time, she held Subaru protectively, her back turned towards the flames. "Tia…" said Subaru. "We're not burning…"

"What…?" Tia looked up and there floated a totem, made of red and black. "It's… protecting us?"

"Shinka," resounded the voice. "Spirit Evolution."

"Evolution… Tia, I think it wants you to use it somehow," said Subaru as Tiana carefully let go of Subaru and turned around to face the totem.

"That's crazy, it's just an idol," said Tiana. But for some reason it was drawing her to it.

Holding out her hand, it floated towards her open palm and in a flicker of zeros and ones, turned into a red and black device that fit into her hand. She looked at it and gasped. "I… know this… somehow."

Gripping it more firmly, she exhaled. "Subaru… this one time, I'll protect you."

Subaru blushed and nodded. "Go for it."

Reaching towards the sky with the hand holding Cross Mirage, digital code flared around it. I know this… I know this somehow… I just don't know… where it comes from. But yet…

And she dragged her hand down the top of the device and there was a chime from her device. "Get Set," chirped Cross Mirage as words came to her.

"Spirit… EVOLUTION!"

* * *

When the flames died out, Erio half expected to find his teammates dead or badly burnt. Instead, sat Subaru with an awed expression on her face. And who could blame her, as what was once Tia stood a warrior in red and gold, a long flame-like mane of hair flowing down her feminine frame.

The thing that was Tiana narrowed her voice as she spoke, cracking her knuckles in a very Subaru-like manner. "You okay, Subaru?"

"Yeah," said Subaru as Tiana looked at her opponent.

"Leave this to me."

Rushing forward faster than a Sonic Move, Tiana was upon the creature as she delivered a powerful blow, striking hard into its jawline. Flames erupted from the impact point as it roared and the body shimmered to reveal a large dinosaur-like creature in brown and orange, stripes running down its body.

Aiming Cross Mirage at it, Cross Mirage boomed with an attack that they hadn't heard before. "Fire Darts," it spoke calmly as flames wreathed from her gauntlets, spiraling to the front of the gun.

Tiana pulled the trigger and multiple shots rang out, gouts of flame impacting and staggering the creature, driving it backwards with a roar of pain.

Landing, she intoned, "Let's do this, partner."

"Burning Salamander," intoned Cross Mirage as she squeezed the trigger.

The dinosaur was caught flat-footed as a dragon erupted from the barrel of Cross Mirage, consuming it in a rush of flame and fire. There was a cracking noise as it exploded into an outline, a glowing bar of energy rippling around it.

Holding out the device that had been the totem, information flowed into it as Cross Mirage stated "Greymon Scanned."

"Wow," managed Erio as he and Caro had watched the fight with surprise. Since when could Tiana do all of that?

In a cracking noise, code formed around the girl in an egg-shape before it receded into the device, leaving a heavily breathing Tiana. "That was amazing, Tiana!" exclaimed Caro. "How… what?"

"That's what I want to know," said Erio.

"All I know is she saved our butts! Good going, Tiana!" laughed Subaru as she hugged her friend. "Always surprising us!"

Tiana managed a weak smile. "I guess I never knew I had it in me."

* * *

"I'm fine," said Tiana as she was released from the hospital from her slight burns suffered from the attack. "I can walk, really!"

She was also being carried by Subaru, who was grinning. "Can't let the hero of the day walk, now can we, Tia?"

"Gah," exclaimed Tiana. Debriefing hadn't been fun either, after she explained the events of the day. Oddly, Hayate seemed not to be worried about it.

"What's say you come home with me? We've been given a little medical leave," suggested Subaru.

"Fine, but if only that you're carrying me," grumbled Tiana, blushing.

Subaru grinned.

* * *

"Some kind of new lifeform," summed up Shari who had been running the tests on the data they had, scanty as it was. "It has a very unique DNA profile. Almost as if it has zeros and ones."

"The data is similar to a familiar, but vastly different too," said Rein.

"A runaway familiar or something different?" asked Hayate.

"Something completely different, and out of this world." This time, all three of them looked up and Hayate frowned. "Hey," said the young man.

"Okay, no games. Who are you?"

"I'm… what you would call a watcher," said the young man slowly. "You can call me Kouichi."

"All right, Kouichi, no games. What was that?" demanded Hayate.

"That was a digital lifeform. We call them digimon, or did years ago. The name still applies." Kouichi looked at the three. "Like I said in my warning, the Digital Hazard is coming. The Digital War is upon us."

"What's… the digital war?" asked Rein quietly.

Kouichi looked up into the ceiling, as if consulting something and then said, "It… is the beginning of the end, for the destroyer has been woken up. Ten Spirits, ten Legendary Warriors. Beast and Human alike, embodied in a single girl."

"Tiana," said Shari and Kouichi nodded. "Why her?"

Kouichi smiled as the world began to ripple around him and he began to vanish into mist. "Because… she is perfectly… average."

And with that, he vanished.

* * *

The world rippled as Kouichi appeared in the mists in an unknown location.

"Did you deliver the message?" inquired the first.

"I did."

"Tch, its bad we can't help," said the fifth in a circle, smacking his fist into his palm. "I would have beat them good."

"There you go, thinking with your fists," said a smaller female form. "You haven't changed in a hundred years, Masaru."

Masaru Daimon smirked. "And like you have, Hikari no Hikari?"

Hikari Yagami scowled at him as the first rolled his eyes.

"Must you two argue like that?" inquired the third as he stepped into view. Next to him lurked a large shadow that hung like a specter.

"So says the great Akiyama," smirked Masaru. "I still say you've got some guts choosing a girl as the next Xros."

"What happened to the Kudo boy?" inquired the first and Akiyama coughed.

"He's awoken, but is fighting headlong in the digital world. We need someone here, to field the power of the Spirits." Kouichi grinned. "Ryo doesn't believe we can pull it off."

"She's still too old," grumbled the first.

"Like I was? Let's face it; we need someone already trained to do this," said Masaru. "And stop hiding yourself in the damn shadows, man! Come out where we can talk normally."

The first sighed as he stepped out of the shadows, revealing an unruly mop of hair. "Fine, fine," remarked Taichi. "Ruin my fun."

"Look we have to agree to disagree right now," said Kouichi. "We've chosen our successor of the Xros. Like it or not, we've recreated a literal Decade . With each digimon she scans, the stronger she'll get."

"Let's hope it's enough, to prevent the return of the Ocean Lords," said Taichi and the others nodded.

"Tch. Well I hope Agumon's okay with getting his ass beat by a girl," said Masaru. "Even if it is good for her. Maybe she'll get some manliness from it!"

Hikari headslapped him. Hard.

* * *

Tiana flopped down in her bed that Subaru gave her. It had been a very VERY long day and she wanted to go to bed.

But it was not to be as the device in her hand flashed and a voice echoed from it, "Ne, neeeeeeee, Anesan! I'm hungry, can't I get some fried eggs?"

Tiana groaned. Great, the monster she had blown up wants to talk. Wait.

She looked at it as the monster appeared in a flash of light, but was a smaller one, orange with red bands around his hands. "Boy it feels nice to be out of there," said Agumon, much to Tiana's horrified expression. "Can you make me some fried eggs, Anesan?"


	2. Chapter 2

Episode 2: Chill of Ice

* * *

"Rescinded orders?" exclaimed Tiana. "Why?"

"In light of the events from last night, unfortunately we need you back on the home front, Tiana," said Fate with a truly apologetic expression. "I wanted to bring you along, but the brass wants you here since you've been the only one who could deal with the creature."

Said creature was inhaling another plate of fried eggs, alongside Subaru, who was matching it pace for pace. Ginga and Genya were watching them eat as Tiana groaned. "Please tell me that this is just temporary?"

"For now, anyhow," said Fate. "I'll do my best to get you back on my team but for now, just hang tough. I'll book you for vacation too."

Tiana sighed again. "Thank you."

Fate nodded and the line cut out.

Finishing his plate of eggs, Agumon belched. "Wow, that was good. Just as good as Sayuri's fried eggs!"

"I'm glad you liked them," said Ginga. "So, Agumon is it? Are you Tiana's familiar?"

"She's my oyabun," replied Agumon, making Tiana choke on her coffee. "She beat me in a man to man battle and there hasn't been anyone since Aniki who could do that!"

"Oyabun… isn't that a Japanese term for supervisor?" inquired Genya.

"Uh huh! Aniki is Aniki, but Oyabun here is my boss for the duration of the attacks!" cheered Agumon. "We're going to beat up a lot of opponents!"

"Wait, hold on there," grumbled Tiana. "I can't be your boss, I don't even know you. And what's this about more attacks?"

"That would be the reason for why you've got the Spirit," said Kouichi from the other end of the table, sipping coffee as if there wasn't anything going on. Ignoring Tiana's exclamation of "GAH!" he grinned. "Hi!"

"And who might you be to pop in unannounced?" inquired Genya. Really, was his house supposed to be a haven for strangeness?

"The messenger boy," said Kouichi as he looked over at Subaru who was fingering Mach Caliber. "Don't worry, I'm not here to fight, just to let you know there are eight more opponents, each hand-selected by us."

"Us?" asked Tiana.

"The council of five. Guardians and watchers of the Eternal Digital Plane. We've handpicked the strongest to test you. You've passed the first one since Agumon has never been beaten so easily in a straight fight." Kouichi sipped his coffee. "The next will show up today. The Harbinger of Ice."

"Oooh, he's a tough one. Almost as tough as Aniki!" said Agumon with a nod.

"You said eight. Isn't Agumon counted in that, or does that make nine?" inquired Subaru.

"Technically it's ten, but Tiana passed the first and second tests of flame. You hold the Spirit of Fire, the power of the Legendary Warrior. That will allow you to withstand the attacks. Agumon boasts the power of a man's heart in his fist, which makes him the test of strength," explained Kouichi.

"There are eight more, each corresponding to the tests and virtues of the human heart. The test of Ice is also the trait of Friendship. You'll need it to achieve victory."

Finishing his coffee, Kouichi looked over at Tiana, who was sitting quietly, trying not to freak out quietly. "It's hard, and we never had to shoulder this on one person. It's not our thing. But to survive as the Xros, you need to rely on others soon."

And he dissolved into mists before any other questions could be asked.

* * *

Tiana liked high places when she had to think, and lately, the rest of the world was at her fingertips. Having no ability to fly herself, she was doing the next best thing: lying on the roof of Subaru's house looking at the Digivice in her hands.

"Oof, there you are," said Subaru as she clambered onto the roof and sat down next to Tia. "What's up?"

"Just thinking," said Tiana, closing her fist as the digivice vanished in a flurry of zeros and ones, outlined in green. "Get the feeling we're not told everything?"

"Yep," replied Subaru as she looked over the edge of the house as Agumon zoomed around the yard, working off the extra energy and punching out much like Subaru would do to stay limber. "I don't trust that Kouichi guy one bit, but something about him tells me he's not a liar. But with that Digital Hazard coming, I'm really getting worried."

"We don't even know what it is, beyond some kind of battle," pointed out Tiana. "That much is certain."

"True."

Tiana sighed. "I just want to know why it's me who's been picked. Has anything been found out if there's going to be an attack somewhere?"

"Nothing yet, although I kind of want a potshot at the next one," said Subaru, slapping her fist into her hand. "I'm pretty sure your 'follower' wants a crack at the next too."

Tiana groaned. "It's like having two of you."

Subaru laughed at that.

* * *

"This can't be right," said Yuuno as he slapped the edge of the monitor as Arf looked over his shoulder. "Arf, can you check the feeds?"

"On it." Checking her side while popping a piece of jerky into her mouth, Arf chewed as she tapped the controls. "Strange, looks like the cameras are working but nothing's coming up."

Yuuno nodded, exhaling when he noticed his breath was visible. "Is the air conditioning on?"

"… I thought it was broken," said Arf. And then she sensed it – a buildup of power. "DOWN!"

Yuuno was tackled by Arf as a freezing gust of wind erupted through the library as the front desk was turned to ice. "Damn, what the hell?"

Fog rolled in as Yuuno stepped back as a shape began to step out of it. Arf's ears flattened to the back of her head as she growled as the figure stepped into the room: a large white furred wolf but its body was luminescent and transparent.

"How did that get in here?" exclaimed Yuuno as the maw opened as ice cold fire built within it.

* * *

"This way, hurry, hurry!" exclaimed Agumon as he led the group towards the Library. "Inside!"

"No wonder we couldn't get a hold of Yuuno; the place is iced over!" exclaimed Subaru as she tried the door and only succeeded in tearing the handle off from the brittle knob.

"No doubt about it, a digimon is in there, the test of ice!" Agumon turned to Tiana. "You need to go, evolve!"

Tiana nodded as she held out her hand and held up Cross Mirage which was in his gun mode. "Ready?"

"Get Set," chirped Cross Mirage as digicode wrapped around her hand.

"Spirit Evolution!" In a flash of light, Agnimon stood there as Agumon grinned. "Now what?"

"Use my power, Oyabun!" exclaimed Agumon, his body turning into data and flying back into the digivice. "Power your arm with the raw fist of a man!"

Agnimon sweatdropped and Subaru had to laugh. But she cracked her knuckles and reared back. "Digicross" intoned Cross Mirage as orange energy circled her fist.

Throwing it against the door, it buckled and snapped inwards with a burst of searing flames as a gust of superheated air met the chilly interior of the library. "Nice fist of a man, Tia," giggled Subaru and Tiana groaned. "Just saying!"

"Let's just beat up this digimon, please?"

* * *

Yuuno thought he had seen everything with this wolf that managed to freeze over most of the library when steam hissed at the arrival of the newcomer. "Oi, oi," chirped the device in her hands. "It's Garurumon! Hey pal, what's up?"

"Agumon," growled the wolf. "Good timing. Though it took you ages to get here."

"Oyabun's slow," replied the digimon-in-the-vice. "Though pleasantries'll have to wait. Let's get to it!"

Garurumon let out a barking laugh as he shimmered into the visible spectrum. "Two against one? That's not really fair."

"You two know each other?" inquired Subaru, eyeing the giant wolf. Hell he was twice as big as Arf or Zafira!

"Yeah, he's friends with my cousin." Was the reply.

"I'm so glad to know that this guy isn't out to kill us all," groused Agnimon as she leveled Cross Mirage at him. "Fight's on, let's do this."

"Crossfire Shoot," intoned Cross Mirage as several balls of flame appeared and lanced out to slam against a blast of Fox Fire.

"Mind telling me what's going on here?" inquired Yuuno from behind the protective barriers he and Arf hid behind. To his credit, he had maintained it for quite some time since even Vita had little success in penetrating them.

Subaru nodded and quickly ran down what they knew while Agnimon and Agumon engaged Garurumon in a trading of flames. "And that's all we know thus far," said Subaru as Agnimon was tossed into a bookshelf. "Tia, try to keep the damage down!"

"Trying, but without a barrier it kinda sucks," replied Agnimon as she aimed another attack with a chirping of "Fire Darts," from her device.

"Well I suppose it's not sporting of me to stay indoors now," said Garurumon as he leaped over Agnimon and charged out the door. Agnimon followed and was met by a cheap shot, freezing her feet to the ground briefly.

"Hey!" Leveling Cross Mirage at him, it intoned, "Burning Salamander," as she fired a dragon at Garurumon, who leaped out of the way.

With Garurumon out of the Infinite Library, the others spilled out of it as Agnimon charged in, the weapon changing to Dagger Mode as Agnimon closed in on her target. "She needs to be faster," remarked Subaru as Agnimon dodged an attack.

Inwardly, Agnimon was thinking the same as she ducked a blast of Fox Fire. Charging her fist with burning orange energy, she struck, blowing Garurumon backwards. "Not bad," grunted Garurumon. "Though it takes more than that to stop me."

"This is bad Oyabun, Garurumon's way too fast for the pair of us," exclaimed Agumon from the digivice at her waist. "We need to step it up, match him blow for blow!"

"Don't you think I'm trying that?" grunted Agnimon. "Got a plan?"

"I don't really have one," grunted Agumon as Garurumon was upon the pair, knocking them to the ground.

"TIA!" yelled Subaru as she tried to rush in, but a wall stopped her short. "What?"

"It's not your fight," said Kouichi from the side as he watched Agnimon throw Garurumon off. "But you can help her."

"How?" demanded Subaru. "You're not letting me get through to do so!"

In response, Kouichi held up a hand as a glowing white spirit appeared in his hand. "Throw this at her. She'll know what to do with it."

Reaching out, Subaru plucked the idol from his hand and turned towards Agnimon. "TIA! CATCH!"

Tia saw the totem flying towards her and instinctively she held out her digivice. There was a flash of light and Cross Mirage stated "Spirit Scanned. Digixross."

"Digi… XROSS!" In a blast of light, Garurumon stumbled backwards as Agnimon's body changed from red to white, the armor shaping itself to be more wolf-themed as Cross Mirage changed to Dagger Mode, but the blade was a brilliant white light. "Wolfmon!"

Garurumon looked over at Kouichi who smiled and waved. "Tch, good with the last saves. Let's see if you can handle the Xros then!"

"Licht Sieger," retorted Wolfmon as she charged in, faster than Garurumon. The pair met with a resounding crackling of energy.

Garurumon coughed as he grinned, the blade stuck firmly into him. "Not bad. You may just be worthy of the Xros after all."

In a flash of light, his information poured into the Digivice and Cross Mirage reported "Garurumon Scanned. Register Two Digimon."

* * *

"Two Digimon now? And two Spirits." Genya shook his head. "Our house is getting crowded."

"Sorry," said Tiana and she hung her head. "I can get myself a place…"

While not quite an enthusiastic eater as Agumon was, Gabumon was very polite as he helped out Ginga in the kitchen. "I'll do my best to earn our keep," said Gabumon with a smile.

"So that's two down and seven to go," said Subaru. "And how many Spirits did you say there were?"

"Ten, and Tia has two," said Kouichi who had invited himself over for dinner, along with Arf and Yuuno who wanted answers. "I only had that Spirit so don't go looking for freebies."

Yuuno nodded. "Count us in. I'll start looking for these Spirits, and references to them. I'm sure there's something."

"Same here," said Arf. "Can't let one of Fate-chan's friends get in trouble without us!"

Tia colored and nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

"Nice bit there, Kouichi," said Taichi that evening. "You gave away the second one."

"Had to. Garurumon would overpower Tia in an instant. Still, her resolve is making her a good person to power the Xros," said Kouichi. "It's not like we haven't done this dance before."

"Any more freebies then?" inquired Masaru with a grin.

"I've set up leads in the Infinite Library that weren't there before," said Ryo, answering for Kouichi. "Yuuno will find them; he's resourceful that way."

"True. Let's hope diverting time like this will lead to a better victory in the end," said Hikari. "For all our sakes."

Kouichi nodded as he held up the Spirit of Darkness in his hand. "I'll have to set this up somewhere. Ryo, mind helping me then?"

"Ah, no problem. Let's go, partner." The dark shadow looming over Ryo's head nodded and the pair vanished into the mists.


End file.
